Potty training seat

ABSTRACT

An illustrated view of an exemplary potty-training seat for providing alternative incentives and reminders to a child is presented. The potty-training seat is useful for providing a verbal reminder for the children to flush a toilet and to wash their hands after using a restroom. Also, the potty-training seat can be stored while not in use and easily reachable and usable by the child being potty-trained.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to potty training. More particularly, it relates to devices to motivate a child during potty training.

BACKGROUND

Toilet training (also potty training or toilet learning) is the process of training someone, particularly a young child, to use the toilet for urination and defecation. Little is known about toilet training in pre-modern societies, but attitudes toward training in recent history have fluctuated substantially, and may vary across cultures and according to demographics. Much of the contemporary approaches to toilet training favor a behavioralist and cognitive psychology-based approach.

Specific recommendations on techniques vary considerably, although a range of these are generally considered effective, and specific research on their comparative effectiveness is lacking. No single approach may be universally effective, either across learners or for the same learner across time, and trainers may need to adjust their techniques according to what is most effective in their situation. Training may begin shortly after birth in some cultures. However, in much of the developed world this occurs between the age of 18 months and two years, with the majority of children fully trained by age four, although many children may still experience occasional accidents.

Certain behavioral or medical disorders may affect toilet training, and extend the time and effort necessary for successful completion. In certain circumstances, these will require professional intervention by a medical professional. However, this is rare and even for those children who face difficulties in training, the vast majority of children can be successfully trained.

Children may face certain risks associated with training, such as slips or falling toilet seats, and toilet training may act in some circumstances as a trigger for abuse. Certain technologies have been developed for use in toilet training, some specialized and others commonly used.

Approaches to toilet training have fluctuated between “passive child readiness” or “nature” based approaches, which emphasize individual child readiness, to more “structured behaviorally based” or “nurture” based approaches, which emphasize the need for parents to initiate a training regime as soon as possible.

Opinions may vary greatly among parents regarding what the most effective approach to toilet training is, and success may require multiple or varied techniques according to what a child is most responsive to. These may include the use of educational material, like children's books, regularly querying a child about their need to use the bathroom, demonstration by a parent, or some type of reward system. Some children may respond more positively to more brief but intense toilet training, while others may be more successful adjusting more slowly over a longer period of time. Regardless of the techniques used, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that the strategy utilize as much parental involvement and encouragement as possible, while avoiding negative judgement.

As early as 1938, among the first technologies developed to address toilet training was known as the “bell and pad”, where a sensor detected when a child had wet themselves at night, and triggered an alarm to act as a form of conditioning. Similar alarm systems have been studied that sense wetness in undergarments, especially as it concerns the toilet training of those with intellectual disabilities. This has been applied more recently in the production of potties, that play an audible cheer or other form of encouragement when used by a child.

Trainers may choose to employ different choices of undergarments to facilitate training. This includes switching from traditional diapers or nappies to training pants (pull-ups), or the use of non-absorbent cotton underwear of the type adults may wear. These are typically employed later in the training process, and not as initial step. Children who experience repeated accidents after transitioning to cotton undergarments may be allowed to resume the use of diapers.

Most widely used techniques recommend the use of specialized children's potties, and some recommend that parents consider using snacks or drinks as rewards.

It is often the hardest part of toilet training a child to have them remember or think about using the toilet when they need to urinate or defecate. There are only parent incentives that drive a child to think about going to the toilet. There are no sensor activated reminders that would allow the child to be automatically or at least without parents harping on toilet training, to then go to the bathroom to relieve themselves.

In light of the foregoing, it would be desirable to devise an improved toilet training device that would provide sensors and reminders to flush the toilet and was their hands as well as be adept at converting the opening of a toilet from adult size to child size.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is an illustrated view of an exemplary potty-training seat.

FIG. 1B is an illustrated view of the potty-training seat shown in FIG. 1A prepared for storage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The phrases “in one embodiment,” “in various embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” and the like are used repeatedly. Such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. The terms “comprising,” “having,” and “including” are synonymous, unless the context dictates otherwise. Such terms do not generally signify a closed list.

“Above,” “adhesive,” “affixing,” “any,” “around,” “both,” “bottom,” “by,” “comprising,” “consistent,” “customized,” “enclosing,” “friction,” “in,” “labeled,” “lower,” “magnetic,” “marked,” “new,” “nominal,” “not,” “of,” “other,” “outside,” “outwardly,” “particular,” “permanently,” “preventing,” “raised,” “respectively,” “reversibly,” “round,” “square,” “substantial,” “supporting,” “surrounded,” “surrounding,” “threaded,” “to,” “top,” “using,” “wherein,” “with,” or other such descriptors herein are used in their normal yes-or-no sense, not as terms of degree, unless context dictates otherwise.

Reference is now made in detail to the description of the embodiments as illustrated in the drawings. While embodiments are described in connection with the drawings and related descriptions, there is no intent to limit the scope to the embodiments disclosed herein. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents. In alternate embodiments, additional devices, or combinations of illustrated devices, may be added to, or combined, without limiting the scope to the embodiments disclosed herein.

Referring to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, an illustrated view of an exemplary potty-training seat 100 for providing alternative incentives and reminders to a child is presented. The potty-training seat 100 is useful for providing a verbal reminder for the children to flush a toilet and to wash their hands after using a restroom. Also, the potty-training seat 100 can be stored while not in use and easily reachable and usable by the child being potty-trained.

The potty-training seat 100 preferably has a height of two (2) inches, however other heights are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, one and one-half (1.5) inches, four (4) inches, etc. The potty-training seat 100 preferably has a length of thirteen and one-half (13.5) inches, however other lengths are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, twelve (12) inches, fifteen (15) inches, etc. The potty-training seat 100 preferably has a width of thirteen and one-fourth (13.25) inches, however other widths are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, twelve (12) inches, fifteen (15) inches, etc. The potty-training seat 100 is preferably an oval shape, however other shapes are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, round, oblong, etc. The potty-training seat 100 is preferably made of a washable material, such as silicon, wood, plastic, etc., however other materials are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, poly-vinyl chloride (PVC), etc.

The potty-training seat 100 has a body 200, one or more handles 300, 350, a sensor 400, a guard 500, a bottom 600 and a folding seam 700.

In FIG. 1B, the bottom 600 potty-training seat 100 has the one or more coupling devices 601 and one or more hinges 602. The one or more coupling devices 601 are preferably suction cups, however other types of coupling devices are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, Velcro® strips, etc. The hinges 602 are coupled to the folding seam 700 of the potty-training seat 100 such that the potty-training seat 100 is foldable without having the two or more sides being completely decoupled.

The sensor 400 is coupled to a top 201 of the body 200 of the potty-training seat 100. The sensor 400 is preferably a pressure sensor, however other types of sensors are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, proximity sensors, temperature sensors, etc. The sensor 400 detects the presence of the child sitting on the potty-training seat 100. The sensor 400 is communicatively coupled to a speaker 800. The sensor 400 detects that a child has sat on the potty-training seat 100 and when the child stands up from the potty-training seat 100, the sensor 400 sends a message to the speaker to alert the child to flush the toilet, wash their hands, etc.

Optionally and/or additionally, the top 201 of the body 200 of the potty-training seat 100 may have a FIG. 202. The FIG. 202 of the top 201 of the body 200 is preferably an animal, such as a duck, dog, cat, etc., however other figures are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, a name of the child, ABCs, a favorite toy, etc.

The handles 300 of the potty-training seat 100 are preferably securely and removably coupled to a first side 203 and a second side 204 of the body 200 of the potty-training seat 100. The handles 300 are useful for the child to hold onto while sitting on the potty-training seat 100 as well as when storing or carrying the potty-training seat 100.

The folding seam 700 is preferably separating a first portion 205 of the body 200 of the potty-training seat 100 and a second portion 206 of the body 200 of the potty-training seat 100. As shown in FIG. 1B and presented earlier, the hinges 602 are coupled to the folding seam 700 of the potty-training seat 100 such that the potty-training seat 100 is foldable without having the two or more sides being completely decoupled. The potty-training seat 100, when folded, exposes the bottom 600 of the potty-training seat 100 for storage and/or transporting.

The guard 500 is coupled to an inside 207 of a front 208 of the body 200 of the potty-training seat 100. The guard 500 is useful for providing a protection when a boy child is urinating on the potty-training seat 100 from the urination be splashed or distributed outside of the toilet.

In the numbered clauses below, specific combinations of aspects and embodiments are articulated in a shorthand form such that (1) according to respective embodiments, for each instance in which a “component” or other such identifiers appear to be introduced (with “a” or “an,” e.g.) more than once in a given chain of clauses, such designations may either identify the same entity or distinct entities; and (2) what might be called “dependent” clauses below may or may not incorporate, in respective embodiments, the features of “independent” clauses to which they refer or other features described above.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the foregoing specific exemplary processes and/or devices and/or technologies are representative of more general processes and/or devices and/or technologies taught elsewhere herein, such as in the claims filed herewith and/or elsewhere in the present application.

The features described with respect to one embodiment may be applied to other embodiments or combined with or interchanged with the features of other embodiments, as appropriate, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A potty-training seat for providing reminders to a child while potty-training, the seat comprising: a body, the body being for a child sitting while potty-training; one or more handles, the one or more handles coupled a first side of the body and a second side of the body; a sensor, the sensor being coupled to a top of the body, wherein the sensor being coupled to a speaker; a guard, the guard being coupled to an inside of a front of the body; and a folding seam, the folding seam being between a first portion of the body and a second portion of the body, wherein a bottom of the potty-training seat have one or more hinges, wherein the one or more hinges being coupled to the folding seam, and wherein one or more coupling devices being coupled to the bottom of the potty-training seat.
 2. The seat of claim 1, wherein the seat being an oval shape.
 3. The seat of claim 1, wherein the seat being made of a washable material.
 4. The seat of claim 3, wherein the material being silicon.
 5. The seat of claim 1, wherein the seat having a height being two (2) inches.
 6. The seat of claim 1, wherein the seat having a length being thirteen and one-half (13.5) inches.
 7. The seat of claim 1, wherein the seat having a width being thirteen and one-fourth (13.25) inches.
 8. The seat of claim 1, wherein the coupling devices being suction cups.
 9. The seat of claim 1, wherein the seat being transportable.
 10. The seat of claim 1, wherein the seat being storable.
 11. The seat of claim 1, wherein when the sensor determines a child has left the seat, the sensor sending a message to the speaker wherein the speaker plays a message.
 12. The seat of claim 11, wherein the message being a reminder to “flush the toilet”.
 13. The seat of claim 11, wherein the message being a reminder to “wash your hands”.
 14. The seat of claim 1, wherein the seat further comprising: a figure, the figure being coupled to the top of the body.
 15. The seat of claim 14, wherein the figure being an animal.
 16. The seat of claim 15, wherein the animal being a duck.
 17. The seat of claim 14, wherein the figure being a child's name.
 18. The seat of claim 1, wherein the sensor being a pressure sensor. 